Recently I was looking around online for a recipe to use up some left over pumpkin puree and I found this. The name intrigued me. Pumpkin and Shiitake? Meh…I wasn’t sure about it. But then as I read down the list of ingredients I knew that I had to make this and soon. And am I glad that I did! It was perfect. Crunchy pignoli nuts, creamy rice, hints of pancetta, onion and pumpkin and just a bit of tang from the mascarpone (which I doubled). I had a double serving.

Many people think that risotto is difficult to make or easy to mess up. Lies. You can’t just let it sit on the stove but all that it takes really is attention and stirring. If you haven’t ever tried to make risotto at home I urge you to do so. There’s almost no prep involved either-just chop up an onion and some mushrooms tops and that’ s about it. Easy peasy.

Risotto is like mashed potatoes. Some like it looser, some like it dryer. I prefer it looser and for to spread a bit when it’s spooned out. If you prefer it dryer continue to cook past when the liquid is absorbed. Be sure to not over cook it though-you do want it to be slightly toothy in the interior of the grain but creamy on the outside. Best to taste as you go.

Pumpkin-Shiitake Risotto with Pancetta and Pignoli Nuts

Ingredients:

3 cups no salt added chicken stock (I used the stock I made a few weeks ago)

1/2 cup water

4ozs pancetta, diced large

2 cups shiitake mushroom caps, chopped

1&1/2 cups chopped yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, smashed or put through a press

1 cup Arborio rice, uncooked

1 tsp fresh sage, sliced thin

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

4 tbsp mascarpone cheese

2 tbsp pignoli nuts

2 tbsp scallions, chipped small

Instructions:

In a small sauce pan bring stock and water to a simmer. Keep it warm over low heat.

Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook about 7 minutes or until crisp, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic and cook about 5-8 minutes or until tender. Add the rice and sage, cook, stirring for a minute. Add the wine, scrape and brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, and cook until liquid is absorbed.

Add 1 cup warm stock and, stirring continuously, cook until it’s almost entirely absorbed. Repeat with all of the stock. You can use extra water if needed. About 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the pumpkin and mascarpone and stir to evenly distribute. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Spoon 1 cup risotto into 4 bowls (warm them so that the risotto doesn’t seize) and top with pignolis and chives.